Stair tread cushion



April 23, 1935. K. G. KASTNER STAIR TREDJ CUSHIONA Filed March 31, 1935N am-.. N

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Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAIR TREAD CUSHIONKarl G. Kastner, Louisville, Ohio Application March 31, 1933, SerialvNo.' 663,788

2 Claims. (Cl. V15d- 56) This inventionl relates to a cushion for. usein connection with coverings for stair treads and floors, and has forits object to prevent excessive wear of the covering by taking up theshock from a the latter when under use and further to prevent lil thecovering contacting with that portion of the surface upon which ispositioned the cushion.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a cushion of pad-like form so constructed whenused in connection with a strair tread covering to prevent excessivewear of the covering by taking up the shock from it under use, andfurther preventing the covering from making contact with the stairs,particularly at the nose-or outer edge of the step where the greatestwear upon the covering occurs.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a cushion for the purpose referred to possessinga resilient characteristic and formed with inherent means to provide,when pressure is applied thereto by a person treading upon the coveringwith which the cushion is used an air cushioning effect.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafterset forth, a cushion for the purpose referred to soconstructed as to prevent it from matting down under use.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a cushion for the purpose referred to forbringing the cov-- ering supported thereby back to its normal positionafter being depressed by a person walking thereover. o y

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a Icushion of pad-like form which is simple inits construction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, thoroughlyefficient in Aits use, readily installed with respect to the coveringwith which it is te be used, and comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture. Y

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists ofthe novel construction,

d combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specificallydescribed, and illustratedy in the accompanying drawing wherein is shownone embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood thatchanges, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing which illustrates, by way of cxample, a form of theinvention used in connection with stair treads:

Figure l is an inverted plan view of the cushion.

Figure 2 is a view looking toward the outer side edge of the cushionwhen inverted. l

Figure 3 is a section of the cushion on line 3-3 Figure 1 and furthershowing the adaptation of the cushion with respect to a stair tread.

Figure 4 is an end view of the cushion.

With respect to the figures of the drawing, like reference charactersindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

The cushion is formed from a body of any suitable resilient material,that is to say, a material possessing compressible and extendiblecharacteristics. Preferably the material will be sponge rubber.

Referring to the drawing, I and 2 indicate the 15 risers of a stairway,`il a step, 4 the nose of the latter and 5 the tread of step 3. Thelatter is positioned against the lower portion of the front faceof riserI, disposed at right angles to the latter and is seated upon and extendsoutwardly from the upper edge of riser 2. A runner for the stairway isdesignated 6 and which is arranged to have an upper upstanding stretch'I thereof oppose riser I, a horizontal stretch 8 above tread 5, thebend 9 between the stretches 1 and 8 po- 25 sitioned at the cornerformed between riser I and step 3, an upstanding lower stretch l0opposing riser 2, and the bend II between stretches 8 and I0 opposingthe nose 4.

When the cushion, in accordance with this invention, is employed inconnection with the runner Ii, it is interposed between stretch 8 andbend II, mounted on tread 5 and overlaps nose 4.

l The cushion is of pad-like form andlcomprises a body part I2preferably of rectangular contour 35 and which merges at its outer sidein a vertically ldisposed holder part I3 of segmental contour invertical section. The length, Width and thicknessof body part I2 may beas desired. The length'of part I3 will be the same as part I2. 40 Theheight and thickness of part I3 will be as desired. lThe body part I2has the upper face of its rear portion sloping as at I4. The endportions of the upper face of body part I2 also are sloped as at I5, I6.The slopes I4, I5 and I6 start from 45 the dotted lines I1, I8 and I9respectively. The slopes I5 and I6 merge into the slope I4 at the dottedlines 20, 2i respectively. The dotted line 22 indicates the thickness ofpart I3.l The dotted line 23 indicates the lower face of part I2; The 50lower face of body part I2 in proximity to its inner side edge is formedwith a row of spaced circular pockets 24 disposed lengthwise of suchface. The lower face of body part I2 adjacent each end thereof is formedwith a row of spaced circular pockets disposed transversely of suchface. One row of transverse pockets is designated and the other row 26.'Ihe transverse rows terminate adjacent the outer side of body part I2.The lower face of body part I2 at the transverse median of the latter isprovided with a transverse row of spaced circular pockets 21. Thepockets 24, 25, 26 and 21 constitute means to provide an air cushioningeffect when pressure is applied to body part I2.

The lower face of body part I2 is provided with two independent spacedgroups of intersecting air channels disposed lengthwise and transverselyof such face. One group indicated at 28 is arranged between and spacedfrom the pockets 25, 21 and between several of the pockets 24 and theouter side of the body part I2. The group 28 is spaced from pockets 24and the outer side of the body part. The channels of the group 28 aredesignated 29, 30 and coact to provide a group of spaced lugs 3|. Theother group, indicated at 32 is arranged between and spaced from theopenings 26, 21 and between several of the pockets 24 and the outer sideof body part I2. 'I'he group 32 is spaced from the pockets 24 and theouter side of body part I2. The channels of the group 32 are designated33, 34 and coact to provide a group of spaced lugs 35.

'I'he channels may be of any suitable contour and are shown by way ofexample of inverted V-form whereby the lugs are tapered.

'I'he channels 29, 33 are of like length and of greater length thanchannels 3U, 34. The channels 29, 33 are disposed lengthwise and thechannels 30, 34 transversely of the lower face of body part I2. Thechannels 29 are arranged in parallel spaced relation and a likearrangement is had with respect to channels 30, 33 and 34.

When the cushion is used in connection with a tread of a stairway, thebody part I2 thereof is of less width than such tread and which willprovide for the stretch 8 of the runner being extended beyond the slopeI4 and the bend 9 being positioned at and secured against the cornerbetween riser I and step 3. The holder part I3 is to be arranged inoverlapped engagement with nose 4 which will arrest the rearwardslipping of the cushion with respect to tread 5. rI'he runner 6, whenthe cushion is mounted on step 3 will have the stretch 8 supported uponbody part I2 and the bend II against holder part I3. The major portionof stretch 8 will be held elevated and away from tread 5 and bend IIwill be maintained clear of nose 4.

The shape of the pockets 24, 25, 26 and 21 may be as desired.

The pockets and air channels function when pressure is applied to bodypart to cause an air cushioning effect.

Each group of channels is surrounded by a border channel 36 provided bya pair of lengthlwise and a pair of transverse channels merging intoeach other. By this division the air is conned in a smaller space andnot allowed to pass from one side to the other when the cushion isdepressed by a footstep of a person.

The pad may be molded with a gummy surface on the under side (givingmore gripping power) and a smooth surface on the upper side, which maybe covered with muslin or other fabric allowing the carpet to be laidand stretched into place more freely.

What I claim isz- 1. An expandible and contractible air cushionedstructure for the tread runners of stair steps comprising an imperforateone-piece resilient element of like material throughout for dispositionbelow the runner and formed of a rectangular body part for-seating uponthe stair step and a holder part depending from the front side of thebody part for overlapping the nose or outer edge of the stair step, saidbody part having the upper face smooth throughout and the rear and endmarginal portions of said face sloping downwardly towards the rear andend edges of said body part, the said sloping end marginal portionsmerging at the rear thereof into the said sloping rear marginal portion,said body part having a at lower face provided adjacent its rear sideedge with a row of spaced air pockets extending lengthwise thereof and apair of spaced opposed endless air channels between said row and saidfront side, said body part having disposed transversely of its lowerface a series of spaced parallel rows of spaced air pockets, one of therows of said series being located between said channels and the otherbeing located in proximity to the ends of said face, and said body parthaving its lower face formed with a pair of spaced groups of crossingintersecting air channels dening between them a plurality of lugs tocontact the stair step, each group of crossing channels being completelyencompassed by and opening into an endless air channel.

2. An expandible and contractible air cushioned structure for the treadrunners of stair steps comprising an imperforate one-piece resilientelement of like material throughout for disposition below the runner andformed of a rectangular body part for seating upon the stair step and aholder part depending from the front side of the body part foroverlapping the nose or outer edge of the stair step, said body parthaving the upper face smooth throughout and the rear and end marginalportions of `said face sloping downwardly towards the rear and end edgesof said body part, the said sloping end marginal portions merging at therear thereof into the said sloping rear marginal portions, said bodypart having a flat lower face provided adjacent its rear side edge witha row of spaced air pockets extending lengthwise thereof and a pair ofspaced opposed endless air channels between said row and said frontside, said body part having disposed transversely of its lower face aseries of spaced parallel rows of spaced air pockets, one of the rows ofsaid series being located between said channels and the other beinglocated in proximity to the ends of said face, and said body part havingits lower face formed with a pair of spaced groups of crossingintersecting air channels dening between them a plurality of lugs tocontact the stair step, each group of crossing channels being completelyencompassed by and opening into an endless air channel, and thetransverse cross sectional length of said body part being less than thetransverse cross sectional length of the stair step.

KARL G. KASTNER.

